Ball-and-socket coupling for rotor

ABSTRACT

An arrangement by which sector-shaped baskets containing heat absorbent elements of a rotary regenerative heat exchanger are pivotally connected to a central rotor post by ball-and-socket type joints that permit relative distortion and limited movement of adjacent members to preclude breakage of the connecting bond therebetween.

United States Patent 1 1 Finnemore 1 1 Jan. 16, 1973 54] BALL-AND-SOCKETCOUPLING FOR 3,369,593 2/1968 Brandt ..165/1() TOR 3,572,425 3 1971Brandt et al 165/9 [75] Inventor: Harlan E. Finnemore, Wellsville,FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,136,087 12/1968 Great Britain ..l65/10[73] Assignee: The Air Preheater Company, Inc.,

wensvlne, Primary ExaminerAlbert W. Davis, Jr. 22 Filed: Aug. 19, 1971Attorney-Wayne H- Lang et An arrangement by which sector-shaped basketscon- [52] U.S. Cl. ..165/9, 165/10, 64/; mining heat absorbent elementsof a rotary regenera "I tive heat exchanger are pivotally connected to acen [58] Fie d of Search ..165/ 9,10, Hal rotor post by ball and sockettype joints that 56 R f d mit relative distortion and limited movementof ade erences e jacent members to preclude breakage of the connect-UNITED STATES PATENTS ing bond therebetween- 3,216,486 11/1965 Hall eta1. ..165/8 7 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures u 'lll I [ILL UN 6 (4 Q- .2:

i, e .11 I 7 I I 111;

. w 1 315i 17s ,1.- 1 F I BALL-AND-SOCKET COUPLING FOR ROTOR SUMMARY OFTHE INVENTION In rotary regenerative heat exchange apparatus a rotorhaving radial compartments that carry a mass of heat absorbent materialrotates alternately between a hot and a cold fluid in order that heatabsorbed by the mass of heat absorbent material from the hot fluid mayin turn be transferred to the cold fluid flowing therethrough.-

The rotor is surrounded by a housing formed with openings in end platesat spaced ends thereof that simultaneously direct the heating fluidandthe fluid to be'heated through spaced compartments of the rotor.

Asthe need for large heat exchangersof high capacity becomesincreasingly common, and inasmuch as the temperature differential atwhich such heaters operate is usually high, it has become difficult tomaintain a sealing relationship between the relatively rotatable partsof the apparatus sufficient to preclude the leakage of fluidtherebetween. Furthermore, subjecting the rotor to alternating hot andcold fluids in addition to starting and stopping its operation producesan alternate heating and cooling of the rotor that provides varyingdegrees of thermal expansion and contraction of the rotor and the rotorhousing which is sufficient to induce excess leakage of fluidtherebetween and the breakage of connecting weldments to'the extent thatoptimum operation of the device is prevented and the integrity of theapparatus is extremely difficult to maintain. Therefore, this inventionis directed to an arrangement whereby the rotor of a rotary regenerativeheat exchanger is comprised of independent sector-shaped baskets of heatabsorbent element joined together only at their outer periphery andpivotally held to a rotatable rotor post by ball-and-socket type jointsthat permit relative expansion and contraction to preclude the crackingand breakage of bonds therebetween and the ultimate failure of thestructure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 5 is a sectional elevation of amodified form of the device.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The arrangement of the drawingshows a rotary regenerative heat exchanger having a horizontal rotorpost 12 supported on bearings 14 and rotated about its axis by meanssuch as a drive motor 16 that is connected through suitable reductiongearing to the rotor post. A mass of heat absorbent material 18contained in the independent sector-shaped containers or baskets 22 isadapted to absorb heat from a hot fluid and then give it up to a coolerfluid.

The baskets 22 are open at opposite ends thereof to permit the flow offluid therethrough and are secured at a single point adjacent theirinner faces to the central rotor post 12 by ball-and-socket typecoupling 24 that permits limited relative movement between the rotorpost 12 and the surrounding rotor 26 comprised of the independentbaskets 22.

The rotor 26 is surrounded by a rotor housing 28 having end plates 32and 34 positioned opposite ends of the rotor with openings 36, 38, 42and 44 for the inlet and outlet of the heating fluid and the fluid to beheated. To preclude the leakage of fluid through the space between therotor and the rotor housing, sealing means are provided on the edges ofthe rotor to bridge the space between the rotor and the rotor h ousing.Accordingly the arcuate ends of the rotor are provided withcircumferential sealing means 46 that 'are bolted to the end edges ofthe rotor and are adapted to rub the adjacent ends of the rotor housing.Radial seals 48 are fixed between open ends of adjacent baskets tobridge the space between the rotor and the rotor housing while axialsealing means 52 are held intermediate flanges 60 at the arcuate ends ofadjacent baskets to preclude the flow of fluid through the annular spacebetween the rotor and rotor housing.

Ball-type couplings 24 between the sector-shaped baskets 22. and therotor post 12 are positioned substantially at the midpoint of theradially inner face of each basket from which they depend and theycomprise essentially an elongate stud 54 having a ball joint 56 securedto the outer end thereof and held to the rotor post by a socket 60 inthe rotor post or in a reinforcement ring 62 that surrounds the rotor.The stud 54 is preferably supported by a stiffener 58 and it isfrictionally held by a hemispherical depression in the support ring 62that is secured to the outer periphery of the rotor post. Retainermembers 64 positioned by means such as bolts 68 hold the ball in thesocket during the assembly of the rotor and preclude the entry offoreign matter during its operation.

The baskets 22 are connected together at their peripheral outer edgesbyjoining flanges 60 with bolts 62 to form an annular rotor shell having asubstantially constant radius that extends continuously around the rotorpost while the radial inner ends of each basket are independent fromadjacent baskets, but connected through the ball-and-socket couplings 24to the rotor post v12. Thus the radial outer end of each basket isintegral with the baskets adjacent thereto, while the radial inner endof each-basket is independent from other baskets and movably secured tothe rotor post to preclude the use of fixed weldments or other typejoints that permit no relative expansion or other movement therebetween.

In a modification of the ball-and-socket type joint shown in FIG. 4 ofthe drawing, the ball 72 at the end of a stud 74 is screwed into therotor post 12 until the collar 76 on the stud abuts the rotor post toassure that the ball 72 protrudes beyond the periphery of the rotor posta fixed distance. A hemispherical depression or socket 78 is formed onthe end of a stud 82 which is secured'as by welding to the central faceof the sectoral basket and is laterally supported by gussets 84 or othersupporting means. The ball is secured in the socket by a retainer 84 onopposite sides of the socket and held by means such as bolts 86. Thespace provided by the collar 76 permits access to the space adjacent therotor post for the nuts 88 that cooperate with bolts 86 to hold theretainers in position around the ball joint.

inasmuch as the wall 72 is subjected to a different range of loadingwhen in tension or in compression, it is designed with a variablesection to accommodate the differential. Thus the hemisphere R, adjacentthe rotor post 12 may be of one diameter while R remote therefrom issubstantially smaller to permit the use of retainers 85 having addedsize and strength that may be advantageous during the assembly operationwhen an entire sector-shaped basket and its contents may be supportedfrom the rotor post solely by the ball-andsocket joint. To assurecontinuous alignment during all phases of rotor movement it is essentialthat the centers for R, and R, coincide.

While my invention has been shown as it relates to a basicball-and-socket type joint and a single modification, it is obvious thatvarious other modifications and substitutions may be made withoutdeparting from the intent of the invention. It is therefore to beunderstood that the details of the ball-and-socket type joint are to belimited only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Rotary regenerative heat exchange apparatus having a central rotorpost, a plurality of independent sector-shaped baskets arranged inlateral juxtaposition around the rotor post to comprise an annularrotor, a mass of heat absorbent material carried in the baskets of therotor, means connecting the outer periphery of adjacent sectroal basketsinto an integral shell, housing means surrounding the rotor having endplates with and-socket joint independently connecting each basketto therotor post to provide a movable joint whereby there may be limitedmovement therebetween.

2. Rotary regenerative heat exchange apparatus of the type defined inclaim 1 wherein said ball-andsocket joint is positioned at the midpointof the end of the adjacent rotor basket. 7

3. Rotary regenerative heat exchange apparatus of the type defined inclaim 1 wherein the ball-and-socket joint comprises a ball dependingfrom each sectorshaped basket and the cooperating socket comprises aspherical depression on the rotor post.

4. Rotary regenerative heat exchange apparatus of thetype defined inclaim 3 including a reinforcement member surrounding the rotor post toprovide a base for the depression supporting the ball.

5. Rotary regenerative heat exchange apparatus as defined in claim 4including retaining means fixed to the rotor post having a sphericaldepression formed therein that cooperates with the depression in therotor post to surround the ball of said joint and hold it therebetweenin compression and in tension.

6. Rotary regenerative heat exchange apparatus as defined in claim 1wherein said ball-and-socket joint comprises a ball having hemispheresof different radii.

7. Rotary regenerative heat exchange apparatus as defined in claim 6wherein the hemisphere of the ball adjacent the rotor post has a largerradius than the hemisphere of said ball remgte thegefrom.

1. Rotary regenerative heat exchange apparatus having a central rotorpost, a plurality of independent sector-shaped baskets arranged inlateral juxtaposition around the rotor post to comprise an annularrotor, a mass of heat absorbent material carried in the baskets of therotor, means connecting the outer periphery of adjacent sectroal basketsinto an integral shell, housing means surrounding the rotor having endplates with openings for a heating fluid and a fluid to be heated, meansfor rotating the rotor about its horizontal axis to align the heatingelement of the rotor alternately with the heating fluid and the fluid tobe heated, and a ball-and-socket joint independently connecting eachbasket to the rotor post to provide a movable joint whereby there may belimited movement therebetween.
 2. Rotary regenerative heat exchangeapparatus of the type defined in claim 1 wherein said ball-and-socketjoint is positioned at the midpoint of the end of the adjacent rotorbasket.
 3. Rotary regenerative heat exchange apparatus of the typedefined in claim 1 wherein the ball-and-socket joint comprises a balldepending from each sector-shaped basket and the cooperating socketcomprises a spherical depression on the rotor post.
 4. Rotaryregenerative heat exchange apparatus of the type defined in claim 3including a reinforcement member surrounding the rotor post to provide abase for the depression supporting the ball.
 5. Rotary regenerative heatexchange apparatus as defined in claim 4 including retaining means fixedto the rotor post having a spherical depression formed therein thatcooperates with the depression in the rotor post to surround the ball ofsaid joint and hold it therebetween in compression and in tension. 6.Rotary regenerative heat exchange apparatus as defined in claim 1wherein said ball-and-socket joint comprises a ball having hemispheresof different radii.
 7. Rotary regenerative heat exchange apparatus asdefined in claim 6 wherein the hemisphere of the ball adjacent the rotorpost has a larger radius than the hemisphere of said ball remotetherefrom.